A progress trap is the condition human societies experience when, in pursuing progress through human ingenuity, they inadvertently introduce problems they do not have the resources or political will to solve, for fear of short-term losses in status, stability or quality of life. This prevents further progress and sometimes leads to collapse.
Here the industrial progress trap generates air, water and noise pollution; while exhaustively consuming resources; greenhouse gas production, however, may be the most serious issue confronting us with the industrial progress trap.